The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - WCI v. Madison: was Police charge five "legal" open carry citizens in Wisconsin

rjrivero · September 28, 2010, 06:39 PM

The whole point is that OPEN CARRY ISN'T ILLEGAL IN WISCONSIN.

The fact of the matter is CONCEALED CARRY IS ILLEGAL IN WISCONSIN.

The unfortunate truth is that the Police are caught between a rock and a hard place in Wisconsin. They must investigate the complaints of "man with a gun." But at the same time, it's not ILLEGAL to be a man walking with a gun.

It is this very tension that helped get concealed carry passed in Ohio. I don't know if Wisconsin is a "Stop and ID state" if it isn't then a resident of Wisconsin has no requirement to give ID to a police officer if he isn't breaking the law.

Of course the common argument is "Felons aren't allowed to carry guns, so we have to make sure you're not a felon."

If you believe this to be true, then when I'm walking my child to school, holding her hand, I should be stopped and my ID should be taken to make sure I'm not a convicted sex offender, right?

You see, civil liberties don't work that way. We have an expectation of "innocent until proven guilty." You can't have it both ways, and in Wisconsin, as long as concealed carry isn't an option, you're going to have to figgure out how to deal with those who choose to excercise their rights by open carrying.

Open carrying was vital in the passage of Concealed Carry in Ohio, and I hope it does the same in Wisconsin. I just hope no one gets hurt promoting this agenda.

September 28, 2010, 06:39 PM	#6
rjrivero Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,399	Open Carry as a means to an end. The whole point is that OPEN CARRY ISN'T ILLEGAL IN WISCONSIN. The fact of the matter is CONCEALED CARRY IS ILLEGAL IN WISCONSIN. The unfortunate truth is that the Police are caught between a rock and a hard place in Wisconsin. They must investigate the complaints of "man with a gun." But at the same time, it's not ILLEGAL to be a man walking with a gun. It is this very tension that helped get concealed carry passed in Ohio. I don't know if Wisconsin is a "Stop and ID state" if it isn't then a resident of Wisconsin has no requirement to give ID to a police officer if he isn't breaking the law. Of course the common argument is "Felons aren't allowed to carry guns, so we have to make sure you're not a felon." If you believe this to be true, then when I'm walking my child to school, holding her hand, I should be stopped and my ID should be taken to make sure I'm not a convicted sex offender, right? You see, civil liberties don't work that way. We have an expectation of "innocent until proven guilty." You can't have it both ways, and in Wisconsin, as long as concealed carry isn't an option, you're going to have to figgure out how to deal with those who choose to excercise their rights by open carrying. Open carrying was vital in the passage of Concealed Carry in Ohio, and I hope it does the same in Wisconsin. I just hope no one gets hurt promoting this agenda.